So here's the deal. I wasn't really interested in Dead Island until about a week or two ago. Like many of you, I wanted no part in any games that showcase the latest in zombie technology. I've had my fill of Left 4 Dead a few years back and I was happy leaving the zombies behind. Then the Steam sale came along and Christmas. Combine the two and I get a nice gift from my brother, that gift being Dead Island. The game was chosen by me so I am to blame if I hated its take on the apocalypse by zombie infection. But I just said I was sick of zombie games... well... Dead Island actually looked pretty neat. It seemed like my type of zombie game. Little gunplay, sharp objects, blunt objects, and a strangely original setting on the fictional island of Banoi, originally called Hanoi until Ryan Davis thought swapping the H for a B would be hilarious. The pieces were there, but would it be any good?

Believe it or not, the answer might be yes. I'm not sure why because there are aspects of the game that I simply don't like. For example, everybody is either depressed or scared. I understand zombies are serious business, but most of the people on the island are either downers or cowards. They want me to do everything, selfish fucks. Speaking of me, I'm cursing a lot in the game. I figured I chose the white male douche because they make for the best fighters in zombie apocalypses, but tone the shit down, game. What else... Dead Island is fucking hard! I'm opting for the single player because playing with other people just ain't my thing unless it's a deathmatch or competitive scenario. I'm not sure if that makes a difference, but how am I supposed to fend off 7 or 8 walkers at once? Luckily the game doesn't exactly punish people hard for not living so balance? And oh, the jank. And the shitty driving. And the occasional mission where you have to fetch bottles of Jack Daniels.

So do I like anything about Dead Island? Well, the entire package works despite the issues. Think about it, it's a zombie infestation! People should be fearful and afraid to go outside. There should be large groups of zombies together to make the apocalypse almost impossible to survive. There should be fetch quests for booze because alcohol is cool and tastes great.

Several hours in, I find myself enjoying parts of Dead Island to the point that I will sometimes forget about the rough edges. For starters, killing zombies is fun because it's all about the melee. Shooting zombies is boring, right? Chopping off the head of a walker with a sickle or an axe is much more gratifying than just pulling out the gun and trying to pull off a headshot. Continuing onto the next point, Banoi is a lovely place for a zombie attack. It's like Sandals or Beaches, but without the kids running around bugging you for attention. The actual city I found myself in later in the game looks less inviting, though. I swear that city is actually a lost Call of Duty multiplayer map. But hey, zombies.

I can attempt to go on, but the bottom line is that I like Dead Island. It ain't perfect, but it's really great if you can live with the jank.

On an unrelated note, where is my 2011 in review? I have a Game of the Year to announce. No it's not Dead Island, silly.